Greek Clothing and Theater

1. Information about Greek Clothing and
Greek Theatre are both presented here on
this Power Point. If you are researching
“Ancient Greek Theatres,” skip ahead to
the slides for “Theatre”.
GREEK CLOTHING AND
GREEK THEATRE

2. Manufacture of Ancient Greek and
Roman Clothing:
One of the principal occupations of women in ancient
society was weaving. Women wove garments generally of
wool for their families. Garments were simple in
construction. They were either designed to be wrapped
and draped leaving the right arm free or to be entered --
like tunics.
GREEK CLOTHING

3. Material of Ancient Clothing:
•Most ancient clothing was made of wool.
•Sometimes linen was available.
•The very wealthy could also afford silk and
cotton.
•Most clothing was not dyed, although geometric
designs would be woven in with colored thread.
GREEK CLOTHING

4. Tunics and Mantles:
Most people wore a tunic (a chiton in Greece). The tunic was the
basic garment. It could also be an undergarment. Over it would go a
mantle of some sort. This was the rectangular himation for the
Greeks, which was draped over the left arm..
GREEK CLOTHING

5. Women's Garments:
•Greek Women also wore the peplos which was
a square of cloth with the top third folded
over and pinned at the shoulders.
•Such garments were worn over the tunics
and under the palla.
GREEK CLOTHING
peplos
palla

6. The first real hat, the broad - brimmed petasos, was
invented by the ancient Greeks! It was worn only for
traveling. A chin strap held it on, so when it was not
needed as protection from the weather, it could hang
down ones back.
GREEK CLOTHING

7. Information about Ancient Greek Theatres
begins with this slide.
ANCIENT GREEK THEATRE

8. In ancient Greece, theatre was a really big deal. Crowds of
15,000 people would gather to see a play. Theatre was so
important to the ancient Greeks that prisoners would be
released from jail temporarily, so they could also attend.
GREEK THEATER

9. Every town had at least one theatre. The ancient Greeks were always bragging
about the wonderful performances in their city-state. The ancient Greeks held
drama competitions with winners for playwriting and performing. Because so
many people came to see the plays, the Greeks built huge outdoor theatres on
hillsides, so that people could be seated in a way that let them see what was
going on down in the orchestra pit - the stage area. The entire seating section
was called the Theatron, which is the origin of our word "theatre".
GREEK THEATER

10. •Part of the reason plays were so important is that originally plays were performed to honor Dionysus, the
ancient Greek god of harvest and wine. But over time, many different gods got in the act, so to speak,
especially the 12 Olympians - the major gods of ancient Greece. The Greeks were always weaving the gods
into their stories.
• Orchestra: ("dancing space") was normally circular. It was a
level space where the chorus would dance, sing, and interact with the
actors who were on the stage near the skene.
•Theatron: ("viewing-place") is where the spectators sat.
The theatron was usually part of hillside overlooking the
orchestra, and often wrapped around a large portion of the orchestra
•Skene: ("tent") was the building directly behind the stage. The
skene was directly in back of the stage, and was usually decorated as a
palace, temple, or other building, depending on the needs of the play. It
had at least one set of doors, and actors could make entrances and exits through them. There was also access
to the roof of the skene from behind, so that actors playing gods and other characters.
•Parodos: ("passageways") are the paths by which the chorus and some actors (such as those representing
messengers or people returning from abroad) made their entrances and exits. The audience also used them to
enter and exit the theater before and after the performance.
GREEK THEATER

11. Tragedies: The first type they invented was the tragedy. In
tragedies, one or more major characters always suffered a disastrous
end.
Comedies: Comedies were invented next. In comedies, plays
always had a happy end. The third type was the satire.
Satires: Satires were plays that made fun of mortal legends and
of real people. In ancient Greece, you did not poke fun at the gods -
not in a play, not in real life, not ever. But you could poke fun at
your leaders. And that was uniquely Greek. Satires in ancient
Greece were often political in nature, and could indeed affect
people's opinions about current events.
THREE TYPES OF PLAYS

12. •The Ancient Greek term for a mask is prosopon
•They were helmet-like masks, covering the entire face and head,
with holes for the eyes and a small aperture for the mouth, as well
as an integrated wig
THEATER MASKS

13. •In a large open-air theatre, the classical masks were able to bring the
characters' face closer to the audience, especially since they had intensely
exaggerated facial features and expressions.
•They enabled an actor to appear and reappear in several different roles,
thus preventing the audience from identifying the actor to one specific
character.
•Their variations help the audience to distinguish sex, age, and social status,
in addition to revealing a change in a particular character’s appearance
•Only 2-3 actors were allowed on the stage at one time, and masks permitted
quick transitions from one character to another.
•There were only male actors, but masks allowed them to play female
characters.
MASK FUNCTIONS

14. For more information visit “The Structure of the Greek Theater”
by clicking here:
http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/tragedy_theater.html
ANCIENT GREEK THEATRES AND
MASKS